Quote Originally Posted by bigdad1 View Post
As to wearing miniature medals with civilian clothes.
For a black or white tie occasion, the rule is quite simple: if the lapel is wide enough, wear the miniatures on the left lapel or, in the case of a shawl lapel on a tuxedo, the miniature medals are worn over the left breast pocket. The center of the holding bar of the bottom row of medals should be parallel to the deck immediately above the pocket. D not wear a pocket handkerchief.
Actually, the width of the lapel has little or nothing to do with the placement of medals on civilian attire. Civilians, unlike the military, have a wide range of options when it comes to wearing miniature medals. While the USMC has distinct regulations for wearing medals with mess dress, so does the USAF, although I do not believe that the regulations are identical. Generally, when wearing miniatures, it is important to make them look like a balanced part of your attire. This generally means that they should be worn as close as possible to the center line of the body with the top of the medal bar slightly above mid-way between the shoulder and the top of the pocket. If more than one row of medals is worn, then the bottom row should hang approximately 1/2 inch above the breast pocket.

In the instance of civilians wearing medals, there are only two rules: Full size medals are only worn during the day and Miniature medals are only worn in the evening. How they are worn is a matter of personal preference, not government regulation.